Monthly Archives: October 2011

Dune activity in Arabia and Meridiani

Mars continues to show itself active, at least as far as dunes are concerned. A new study published in Geophysical Research Letters (October 22, 2011) by a group of scientists led by Simone Silvestro (SETI Institute) reports on dune movements … Continue reading

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Early Martian surface radiation not too strong for life

During the Noachian period (about 4.5 to 3.5 billion years ago), the Martian atmosphere was substantially thicker than it is currently, and the planet had a magnetosphere with a surface field strength about as strong as Earth’s today. Both factors … Continue reading

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Jarosite: key to ancient temperatures?

The water-related mineral jarosite is occurs both on Earth and in sediments on Meridiani Planum, Mars. Scientists have found that by measuring the isotope ratio of argon-40 to argon-39 in the rock — a technique that can be applied to … Continue reading

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Did lake-effect storms make Martian snowbelts?

Numerous places on Mars show erosion by precipitation, whether as rainfall or runoff from melting snow. The precipitation could have come from a thicker atmosphere or a temporary boost in atmospheric temperature and density following a large impact. Both scenarios … Continue reading

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Dry ice glaciers?

Scientists examining rocky remnants in Mars’ northern polar region believe they have found evidence for a type of glacier unknown on Earth – one where the ice is made of frozen carbon dioxide rather than water. Mikhail Kreslavsky (University of … Continue reading

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